Saturday, July 30, 2011

Who doesn't love the lily?Symbolising peace, majesty and purity,it it the flower of choice when an elegant floral is needed.

Lilies are found growing in the Northern Hemisphere.The hot tropics are not for this cool-loving bloom!There are approximately 100 varieties available, with varied shapes such as star, bowl or trumpet. Here, acres of lilies growing in a cool mountainous region of China.

Forget about lilies being "just" a funeral flower.Here's a beautiful bridal bouquet composed of nothing but Stargazer lilies and lily grass.Elegant, simple, beautiful and fragrant.

Though there are no blue lilies as yet, the multitude of colors that are available makes them a good match for so many other types of flowers, such as this monochromatic arrangement of peonies, alstromeria, roses and lilies.

Here's a gorgeous variety called "Oprah Winfrey",very similar to one we used for one of our brides recently.

In the garden, this variety of tiger lily can reach 7 ft high, requiring staking.

In Holland, one lily farm alone ships out 180,000 stems weekly.

You can imagine, it's a massive undertaking to provide suppliers with lilies the world over...

You may have received or picked lilies at one time or another, and later found an orange stain on your hands or clothing. This is pollen, and most florists will remove these stamens before sending them out. However, as the buds open up, there will be others to remove...don't rub if it gets on your clothing! The best method of removing the stain is to use adhesive tape, pulling it off quickly. Repeat as needed until the stain is gone.It's a small price to pay for such beauty...

Do you have lilies in your garden? Lucky you!And if you don't, come see us at Bloomers!

Located in the city of Al Ain, the United Arab Emirates, the Paradise Garden was recently awarded the Guinness World Book of Records- for the most hanging flower baskets!2,968 baskets are arrayed throughout the 363-acre garden, which represents the latest in landscaping and irrigation technology.

Surrounded by desert, the lushness of this garden makes the feat even more remarkable.With more than 10,000 flowers, this garden is considered to be in the forefront of water conservation and irrigation.

This category did not previously exist with Guinness, and was created specifically for this garden. Wonder who will try to break the record next?

Incredibly, the park was closed for a time in 2010 due to vandalism,where many baskets were pulled down, and structures damaged.The good news is that the park re-opened in March of this year.

Entrance to the garden is free, and visitors are greeted with a replica of the Eiffel Tower,which was again lit to signify it's resurrection from the vandalism incident.

Now, visitors are required to remain on the paths, and are strictly prohibitedfrom picking the flowers, facing fines if they choose to stray.

The park has also constructed a giant pyramid of flowers, growing right in the structure,rather than the usual method of regularly-replaced cut flowers.This design required a unique irrigation system, which has also been submitted to Guinness,now studying the submission.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Now imagine you're going to marry a future king of England.Well, of course you'll have help. Lots of it. And one of those helpers will be your florist...

Shane Connolly is no stranger to Royal events. The Duchess of Cornwall chose him to do the flowers for her wedding to Prince Charles in 2005. Shane is known for his "sustainable" approach to floristry, often incorporating live trees or potted plants into his designs.Above, he selects plants in Windsor Great Park for the wedding of Prince Williamto Kate Middleton, arguably the wedding of the century.

Rather than massing thousands of flowers,Kate chose to use 20-foot Hornbeam and Maple trees in Westminster Abbey,which were later donated or replanted. It was a perfect choice, making the vast interior of the Abbey more intimate and inviting.

Which is not to say there weren't any flowers....

Shane holds a Royal Warrant-meaning he is an official supplier of flowers for royal events. Having worked with several members of the royal family on events of varying size, he is well positioned to know their tastes, and perhaps even more importantly, what is appropriate for each occasion.

Not only must the royal couple's tastes be considered, but also, security!Here, a bomb-sniffing dog checks out the blooms.

Kate's petite bouquet was composed of fragrant lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth and myrtle, which Queen Victoria planted in 1845.As a nod to her new husband, her bouquet also included Sweet William blooms.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

At the World Association of Flower Arrangers event last month in Boston, interpretation was the order of the day, and uniqueness ruled. Designers were challenged to design floral arrangements that interpreted things such as...

...lightning,Doesn't this fun design just say "Shazam"?

...fireI loved how this designer chose to incorporate'charred" wood into his interpretation.

...windThis large, evocative design used only dried leaves!

...zippers.Taking the challenge quite literally, this particular designer installeda large white zipper all around the leaf.

...or tiny "candies".Size was key here, as these designs had to fit withinthe dotted space on the exhibit board.

...natural materialsA butterfly and bug necklace, anyone?

...an "everyday" item...this, with wooden spoons and green peppers.

...color.Using only the tints, tones and shades of a particular color,as in this beautiful amethyst design.

About Me

Hello! I'm Debra Graham, owner of Bloomers Floral Design and author of the Bee, (formerly the BloomersBlog)-random musings on all things floral. I'm a native New Englander, now transplanted here in North Carolina. Flowers have been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember, starting with pinching off the roses from my grandmother's bushes when I was little. (she would have preferred that I didn't, I'm sure!). I've lived in apartments with tiny porches, and houses with many acres, and the common denominator in all was flowers...flowers in pots, flowers in rows, flowers hanging from hooks. And always, fresh flower arrangements would be created out of whatever was available. Bloomers is an extension of that passion, and I pass it along in every design I create for my customer. The Bee is one more way to pass along my love of flowers to you!